Follow me and Wild Earth Expeditions to Nong Khaiw, a charming town five hours south of Luang Prabang for Part Two of our three-part Laos holiday adventure!

Crossing the milk chocolate-colored Nam Ou River, we join early morning crowds buying and selling everything from shampoo and lotion, backpacks and shoes, hardware and small appliances to fresh fruit, eggs, veggies, meat and prepared meals, all outdoors. Naturally we beeline for the food section.

Quiet little ladies (always ladies, probably because no guy would be up this early) sit on the ground behind their wares displayed on tarps.

We see no other Caucasian faces.

Something fragrant and spicy grabs your attention first--steamed brown eggs in their shells--but with something yellow poking out the top. Tu Bee, our local guide, buys three, peels them and passes them around for us to sample, explaining, “They open a hole in the top of the shell, mix spices with the egg then steam it.” The peeled result is not a hard-boiled egg but rather scrambled in the shell. Dee-lish.

“The butcher stall,” answers Tu Bee. Everyone rushes to get pictures of animals being slaughtered. Not me. One glimpse of a blood-filled barrel and I spin around--and bump into a table of python chunks.

Granted, they are neatly washed and gutted but there’s no missing the shape--cylindrical chunks about eight inches long and three inches wide, covered with shiny scales.

I avert my head. It can’t get worse. But it does.

“What’s sticking out of that bamboo thing?” asks Bob, a fellow Wild Earth expeditioner. He indicates a rat-like tail poking out from a cone-shaped bamboo basket. Something furry moves inside the basket.

“Bulbul. Killed with slingshot.” No wonder one sees few birds in town; they’re dinner.

Next to the dead bulbuls is a big aluminum pot full of black horned beetles crawling over one another.

“Roast then eat. Crunchy snack.”

By now I’m desperate to get somewhere vegetarian-friendly. I hurry back to the veg stands to take a deep breath. And nearly pass out. Piles and piles of freshly picked cilantro choke me. I’m allergic. I gasp for breath.

Things calm down in the afternoon. Small motor launches carry us swiftly down the Nam Ou back to Luang Prabang, arriving in time to catch Dragon Boat races. Dragon Boat racing takes place over six weeks, the Laos equivalent of the World Series, Super Bowl and NBA finals, combined. Each village or monastery sponsors a boat. Competition is keen. Crowds collect on the riverbank to picnic, drink and cheer all day.

Dragon Boats are similar to Olympic rowers. Fifty oarsmen sit one behind the other and row every other side to the rhythm of the beater. Clad in bright red, green or yellow to match their boats, teams make gorgeous pictures, especially when their dripping oars catch the sun.

Yes, Laos is all about sights, sounds and lots of color!

For your Laos adventure: www.wildearthexpeditions.com

Next time: Laos Part Three: Waterfall treks and story time!

Join award-winning Yvonne Lanelli (evlanelli@yahoo.com) for outdoor adventure around the world every two weeks exclusively in Vamonos!